Gov’t urged to increase health sector budget

The World Health Organization has urged the government to increase the health sector budget next year to help in employment of trained doctors and nurses.

The budget of the ministry has declined from 4% in 2012 to 1% this year, according to the ministry of health.

A representative of the agency, Abdu Almuniem Osman, says they have trained a lot of doctors and nurses and some were taken for further studies, but they could not serve in the government because they were not paid.

Mr. Osman says most of the skilled health professionals are working with non-governmental organizations instead of serving in the government.

He urges the national government to allocate the necessary budget to retain skilled workers to provide health services all over the country.

“For the government to own the health system, the ministry of health has to have the necessary budget line and the necessary financing,” he said. “Then we will be able to mobilize all donors to support.”

Mr. Osman was speaking at the opening of the ongoing national health summit, which ends on Friday.

At the same occasion, the Minister of Health, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, appealed to the national government to raise the health budget in the next financial year.

In response, the Minister of Finance said the government is allocating only two percent of the budget to the health sector due to the economic crisis.

Stephen Dhieu said the government is only paying salaries and meeting the cost of local trainings.

Mr. Dhieu said the government will not be able to raise the budget for the health sector next year and urged donors to continue with their support.